Systems and methods for distributing personalized information over a communications system

ABSTRACT

A system for distributing information over communications systems comprising a question database, a solution database, a set of protocols, a user information system, a selecting system, and a filtering system. The question database contains questions related to the information to be distributed. The solution database contains solution elements related to the information to be distributed. The set of protocols links at least one of the questions in the question database with at least one of the solution elements in the solution database. The user information system allows a user to enter user data related to the user. The selecting system allows the user to select one or more questions from the question database to generate a set of selected questions. The filtering system generates a customized list of solution elements based on the selected questions, the set of protocols, and the user data such that the customized list of solution elements contains at least one solution element specifically related to the user.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/934,955 filed Aug. 21, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 7,110,994 issued Sep. 19,2006, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/798,276 filed Mar. 2, 2001, abandoned, which claims priority of U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. Nos. 60/188,932 filed on Mar. 9,2000, and 60/188,670 filed on Mar. 11, 2000.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the distribution of information over acommunications system such as the internet and, more specifically, to adynamic information system that employs an interactive computer programthat selects and provides a customized set of responses tailored to aparticular combination of answers to questions contained in aquestionnaire.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Real-world life is complex, and situations requiring information ofteninvolve multiple questions or problems. When information is presentedon-line, this information is usually presented as a static “library” ofcontent and information. Such static systems do not allow theperformance of services and/or presentation of information to betailored to a user's unique requirements. These systems do not fullyexploit the capacity of communications systems such as the internet tosort, integrate, collate, and/or prioritize the best of multiplesolution possibilities from multiple sources into simple steps tailoredfor and easily implemented by any customer. These systems also do notteach each user accessing the information about practical andself-directed actions to improve their life and enhance their knowledgein their specific areas of interest and thereby further today's trendtowards self-education and empowerment.

Accordingly, it is a goal of the present invention to obtain improvedsystems and methods for distributing information over a communicationssystem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is preferably a system for distributinginformation over communications systems comprising a question database,a solution database, a set of protocols, a user information system, aselecting system, and a filtering system. The question database containsquestions related to the information to be distributed. The solutiondatabase contains solution elements related to the information to bedistributed. The set of protocols links at least one of the questions inthe question database with at least one of the solution elements in thesolution database. The user information system allows a user to enteruser data related to the user. The selecting system allows the user toselect one or more questions from the question database to generate aset of selected questions. The filtering system generates a customizedlist of solution elements based on the selected questions, the set ofprotocols, and the user data such that the customized list of solutionelements contains at least one solution element specifically related tothe user.

The present invention may thus be implemented as systems and methodsthat take multiple questions within one field of endeavor and respondwith a customized set of solution elements that make practical sense andhave additive value when used together.

Real-world life is complex, and in any situation requiring informationthere are usually multiple questions or problems to be solved.Accordingly, rather than a static “library” of content and information,the systems and methods of the present invention yield a dynamicinternet resource behaving like an interactive book that tailors itscontent to the customer's particular set of requests. The presentinvention may be applied to any area of expertise, and is particularlysuited to, though not limited to, self-directed activities for which thecustomer seeks practical guidance and information to proceed—e.g.cooking, gardening, car repair.

The system of the present invention may be implemented by a list offrequently-asked questions. For each question a “Protocol” is compiledand stored. The Protocol consists of the most effective and/or popularsolutions in the field of endeavor associated with each of thequestions. Using a Questionnaire, the customer can select and submitquestions. Based on the “Protocols”, the program first retrieves thecomponent solutions for each question, which are weighted in the system.These solutions may then be filtered by sorting, collating, andprioritizing according to weighting, and the program selects those withthe highest cumulative weighting (those most relevant to the group ofquestions), and eliminates those with least weighting.

The customer is then presented with a customized set of the best answersto cover the particular combination of questions they selected. Purelyeducational background material may also be presented to the user. Theprogram then walks the customer through how to implement thesesolutions, step by step, including practical action such as completerecipes, geographically local resources, and links to online stores andresearch and commercial sites, etc. The customer's data is storedsecurely, so that over sequential site visits they can receive relatedor more advanced material as their requirements evolve and change.

The benefits of the present invention may include one or more of thefollowing:

The present invention implements a holistic philosophy that includes andaggregates different philosophies and approaches. For example, a fishrecipe may be accompanied with—or have links to—protein and calorieanalysis, a Chinese medicine perspective on health benefits ofingredients, a history of the recipe's origin, and a myth aboutsymbolism of the fish image.

The information stored and distributed using the systems and methods ofthe present invention is personalized. The focus is on the customer, notthe topics. Instead of a “library” of impersonal information on eachseparate topic, the content offered at each site visit is selected andtailored precisely to fit the individual request—like a personalguidebook, that changes as the customer's requests change. For example,in the context of a menu creation system implementing the principles ofthe present invention, a customer requiring “Pacific Northwest” styleand “Rapid Preparation”. The program walks the user through learningmore and implementing the recommendations in a very practical “how-to”way.

By integrating information and the replies to multiple questions, acohesive and multi-faceted yet also streamlined response is delivered.One single solution may satisfy more than one problem, for instance arecipe may be both vegetarian and Pacific Northwest style. The systemeliminates overlap and irrelevancies, and selects and prioritizes thebest combination of answers to most effectively address all intereststhe customer inputs.

The present invention may be implemented as a system or method that isindependent of any one commercial company, product line, method,philosophy or school. While it may offer links to a variety of highquality informational or commercial sites, to enable the customer toeasily and knowledgeably implement recommendations, the prime objectiveis to offer personalized education and information.

The present invention may be implemented as an educational, notdiagnostic, tool. The customer is expected to responsibly investigateany persistent concerns—from nutritional to automobile—and to monitorthe effectiveness of action taken based on information provided.Agreement with a Disclaimer may be required before proceeding to receiveinformation. The program can teach about practical, safe measures likelyto help each unique situation, and can offer detailed guidance to startand use them, but does not prescribe or assume responsibility for thecustomer's actions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention can be embodied in a number of different forms,and several of these will be described in detail herein. The followingexamples are to be considered illustrative of the scope of the presentinvention, but the scope of the present invention is not restricted bythese examples.

I. Menu Creation Examples

One customer may want a menu that is (a) Vegetarian, and (b) has aPacific Northwest theme, and (c) can be made in less than one hour. AHome Cooking website using the systems and methods of the presentinvention may have a Database of recipes. “Vegetarian”, “PacificNorthwest”, and “Rapid-Preparation” Protocols would include the highestrated and most widely-favored recipes for the category. There may beoverlap, for instance a recipe may be both quick and also vegetarian. Atthe customer's request, the individual recipes linked to the questions“Vegetarian”, “Pacific Northwest” and “Rapid Preparation” will beretrieved. Each recipe is weighted according to, perhaps, howcharacteristically Northwest or how fast to prepare it is.

The program then adds their weightings, giving most weight to recipesappearing more than once, and prioritizes and collates. The customer ispresented with a menu, from hors d'oeuvre to dessert, featuring therecipes that satisfy all their requirements to the greatest degree.Rather than having to look through one book on vegetarian cooking,another on Northwest food, and yet another on quick meals, this programsynthesizes a personalized “cookbook” to answer this customer'sparticular set of requests. Another customer may want a menu that isquick and in Pacific Northwest style, but also features fish. Here therecipes linked to “Northwest” and “Rapid Preparation” will again beretrieved, along with “Fish” recipes, resulting in a somewhat differentcustomized menu.

The present invention is preferably implemented as a web site orcollection of web sites available over the internet, and that examplewill be described in detail below. The present invention may, however,be embodied in the context of other communications systems.

Upon entering a web site implementing the present invention in thecontext of a menu creation example, the user will initially be presentedwith a Home and Introduction page. The Home and Introduction page willgive provide general information to the user, perhaps saying: “Who WeAre and What We Do . . . ”, followed by a description of the particularbusiness or service. The Home and Introduction will typically explain tothe user how the web site generally operates. In particular, this Homeand Introduction page will state that the web site will generate, inresponse to the user's particular combination of questions andinterests, a “Custom Book” containing the most effective, easy andrelevant solutions to cover all the customer's questions. The user willthen be presented with a button, perhaps labeled “Click to proceed’,which leads to a second page entitled the Questionnaire page.

On the questionnaire page, the user is presented with a firstquestionnaire. The first questionnaire includes boxes to check to allowthe user to input relevant personal characteristics such as timeavailable to cook, level of cooking experience, and other variables.Next the user is presented with a second or main questionnairecontaining the list of questions for which expert information isavailable, such as “Fish recipes”, “Vegetarian recipes”, or “PacificNorthwest recipes”. For each question selected, there will, in upcomingversions of the invention, be a second or even third tier of questions(e.g. “Vegetarian” with emphasis on (i) leafy greens, or (ii)casseroles), allowing several steps to narrow down the question,providing more specific answers. The customer selects questions byclicking on boxes, icons, or images. Perhaps 30-40 choices may bepresented in an initial version of the invention, then more added assystem develops.

A button, again perhaps labeled “Click to proceed’ will then be clicked,leading the user to a third page entitled “To Open Your Custom Book(abbr. herein as “CB”). The user is presented with the outside cover oftheir “Custom Book”, perhaps as a graphic with their first name on, andasked “Would you like to open it?” If they click on a button saying“Yes”, the next paragraph may include one or more threshold requirementssuch as a payment method and/or disclaimer. For example, the user may bepresented with one or more panels labeled and implemented as follows:

-   -   “There is an $$ (x) dollar fee for this personalized information        service”—and boxes are shown to enter credit card information,        which must be validated to continue the program    -   DISCLAIMER box must be checked: e.g. “The information on this        website should not in any way be used as a substitute for the        advice of a professional. Neither our expert team or guest        contractors shall be liable or responsible to any person or        entity for any loss or damage caused, or alleged to be have been        caused, directly or indirectly by the information or ideas        contained, suggested, or referenced on this web site. We offer        an educational service only. While we understand everything        presented on this site to be completely safe, we recommend you        consult a professional”—Links can then be provided to the        appropriate referral sources.

Once all boxes are satisfactorily filled in, the completed questionnaireis submitted and the program sorts, collates, organizes and prioritizesanswers to the user's unique combination of inquiries. The program thengathers this information into what may be referred to as a Custom Book.

The program next proceeds to a fourth page, perhaps entitled “CustomBook”. The first “Chapter” will reveal a customized list of thesolutions that together are most effective for all the questions asked.The customer is given many helpful tips in a warm and personal tone. Thecustomer's data, questions and “Custom Book” solutions are securelystored. At return visits to the site the customer can input newinformation or requests, and (perhaps for fee) turn to the next chapterof their “CB”, thus building upon their knowledge.

The customized list of solutions presented in the “Custom Book” is madeup of several selected individual solutions such as recipes (exactnumber to be determined by the website adopting this system). Eachindividual solution is a piece of information that will be referred toherein as a “Solution Element” in the Database. The Solution Elementsare linked to the Questions in what is referred to herein as a Protocol.In the present example, the Protocol associates Questions, which arecategories of food such as vegetarian or Pacific Northwest, withSolution Elements, which are recipes that fall within the category offood. The Protocols may associate one Solution Element with more thanone Question; that is, a recipe may be categorized as both vegetarianand Pacific Northwest. The Protocols may also associate more than oneSolution Element with each Question; that is, more than one the SolutionElements or recipe may be associated with a specific Question or cookingcategory.

The program eliminates duplication and presents the customer with acustomized list of the Solution Elements, selected by weighting, thatmost strongly correspond to all selected Questions. In particular, thecustomized list of Solution Elements is the result of the programretrieving and prioritizing Solution Elements linked by the Protocols tothe plurality of selected Questions. The present invention thus filtersthe total list of Solution Elements to a customized list of SolutionElements based on the overlap between Protocols associated with theselected Questions and/or weightings associating the Solution Elementsmore or less strongly with selected Questions.

The fact that a given Solution Element or recipe is identified by morethan one Protocol to the selected Questions will increase the likelihoodthat the given Solution Element will be included in the customized listof Solution Elements. Instead or in addition, the Protocols may includeweighted scores that more or less strongly associate the SolutionElements with a given Question. In this case, the customized list ofSolution Elements will be constructed using the weighted scores toobtain recipes that strongly satisfy the requirements associated withthe selected Questions.

The process of generating the customized list of Solution Elements basedeither on overlapping Protocols or on the weighted scores defined withinthe Protocols will be referred to herein as filtering.

As an example of this embodiment of the present invention, a customerrequesting food categories such as Fish and Pacific Northwest and RapidPreparation (Questions) will receive recipes (Solution Elements) linkedby Protocols to each of those three food categories. Using the conceptof overlapping Protocols, the system will select recipes that are linkedby the Protocols to two or even all three customer food categoryrequests. Using the concept of weighting, the system will givepreference to recipes that are weighted more heavily. For this example,the user's “Custom Book” presents a customized list of Solution Elementsin the form of a menu containing the following recipes:

Red kale and smoked salmon salad

Wild salmon with Fiddlehead fern

Garlic spaghetti with fresh basil and parsley

Pacific fusion portobello & shiitake mushrooms

Baked Oregon pears in brandy

The recipes in this customized list are each identified by two or moreprotocols and are the highest-weighted from the Fish, Pacific Northwest,and Rapid Preparation as indicated by the following table. The recipeSolution Elements in the following table implements a simple weightingsystem: an asterisk (*) indicates recipes that are more stronglyassociated by a Protocol with a given food category.

QUESTIONS PROTOCOLS of SOLUTION ELEMENTS FISH RECIPES *Wild salmon withFiddlehead fern Chinese prawns with ginger Baked Alaskan cod in sweetonion sauce Broiled garlic snapper Tuna and leek stir-fry PACIFICNORTHWEST *Pacific fusion portobello & shiitake RECIPES mushrooms*Traditional Washington bannock bread Red kale and smoked salmon saladOrganic blueberry ice cream RAPID-PREPARATION Ruby carrot and beet soupRECIPES Bok choi and ginger stir-fry with chicken strips *Garlicspaghetti with fresh basil and parsley *Baked Oregon pears in brandyVEGETARIAN RECIPE Barley and wild rice tabouli PROTOCOL Golden Harvestsquash soup Lentil-tarragon pate Northwest blackberry sorbet

The details of the software program underlying any given implementationof the present invention are not critical, and the following example ofsuch a software program in the context of a menu creation system is notintended to restrict the scope of the present invention.

The following terminology will be used in the following discussion ofthe software program that underlies this embodiment of the presentinvention:

Term Definition Question (Q) a situation, need, or challenge for whichcustomers seek personalized information and guidance Solution Element(SE) one single measure, such as (but not limited to) a recipe, or aplanting schedule for a home gardener tailored to season andgeographical location Link a connection from a “Question” to a “SE′”;each link has a different weighting Protocol a group of “SE”s linked toeach Question, and retrieved in response to submission of that Question

The following components will be used in the following discussion of thesoftware program that underlies this embodiment of the presentinvention:

Component Description web site conventional. Web Server conventional;used to format and deliver pages to the customer at the website. DynamicServer to act like a “search engine and filter in one”. Could be locatedon Web Server or on separate machine. Database contains: (1) Questions(with information sentences attached, e.g. benefits of a vegetariandiet, or the history of planting by moon cycles, etc); (2) SolutionElements (also with information sentences attached, e.g. where topurchase ingredients or supplements); (3) Protocols linking Solutionelements to Questions, possibly including weighted Links

The exemplary Menu Creation System will preferably be implemented usingthe following procedures.

Initially, at the web site, the customer (user), who is someone visitingsite wanting information tailored to their request, fills out personalinformation and selects a UserName & password to allow future access toown confidential data.

The user is next presented with a dynamic page of 30-40 personalquestions (no limit on future number as invention evolves) relevant tothe personal information entered by the customer is presented at thewebsite. Incompatible combinations of questions are disallowed (e.g. arequest for both Vegetarian and Beef recipes for one individual).

The user is then prompted to select one or more Questions for which theywant a customized list of the best solutions. Selection is made at thewebsite by clicking buttons or icons or drop-down boxes. Optional infuture developments of invention, further icons/clicks will (maybe atreturn visit to site) take user to 2nd or 3rd tier of questions, formore focus, e.g. low-fat Fish recipes.

The selected “Questions”, together with all the customer's personalinformation, are submitted to the WebServer and Dynamic Server, whichcheck for, and eliminate, conflicts in questions (e.g. Vegetarian andBeef recipes for same individual

The WebServer utilizes an underlying database connectivity layer—i.e.“talks” to a sub-program at the Dynamic Server—to construct a query,including ALL customer's selected “Questions” and personal information.This query is then sent to the Database.

In response to the query from the WebServer/Dynamic server, the Databaserecognizes and retrieves the “Solution Elements”. These “SE”s arecollated and prioritized based upon the weighting of links thatretrieved them, and other factors currently in development. The Databasecould also eliminate duplication and ensure some form of conflictresolution so that conflicting “SE”s would not be presented to customer.There would be “Prohibitive links” in the Database to “SolutionElements” disallowed, e.g. beef soup could not be retrieved forvegetarian customer. The weights of “SE”s are then added and arecumulative.

The weighted and collated “SE”s are then sent back to the DynamicServer/WebServer, to format and create a dynamic web page.).Alternatively Active Server Pages may be implemented.

The result (containing all the “Solution Elements” for this customer,ranked according to weighting) is presented as the “Custom Book” at thewebsite.

All personalized data associated with a particular user and stored inthe Database server for easy retrieval at a later time.

As an alternative to or enhancement of the first embodiment, each“Solution Element” bears several tags, each of different weighting andeach tag corresponding to one “Question”. When a “Question” is includedin a query, the Database will retrieve all the “SE”s with acorresponding tag. The weightings of the “SE”s are additive according tothe score on their tags. In the response presented to the customer,those with strongest cumulative weighting are given highest priority.This alternative weighting process is represented in Appendix 1 attachedhereto.

II. Holistic Health Education Examples

The present invention may also be implemented as an interactive computerprogram and internet system linked to a commercial web site, providingcustomized step-by-step holistic health education. Rather than a static“library” of content and information, this is a dynamic internetresource that behaves like an interactive book that tailors its contentto the customer's particular set of requests. For each health conditionaddressed, a health education system of the present invention presentsthe best natural health approaches (solutions)—including diet, vitamins,safe herbs—our “Protocols”.

The health education system may begin with a Questionnaire requestinginformation about the user. The user then queries the system for healthconcerns. In response to the user's particular combination of healthquestions, our program sorts and prioritizes the solutions, which areweighted in our system, and selects those with highest cumulativeweighting for all queried health conditions. The customer is presentedwith a customized set of answers—a thorough and simple list of the mosteffective alternative health measures (in widespread use) that ingeneral best help all the health concerns they ask about. Educationalbackground material relevant to the protocols may be presented to theuser.

The health education system then walks the customer through how toimplement these measures, including meal plans, local store addresses,links to research & commercial sites, etc. The customer's information isstored securely, so that over sequential site visits, their educationcan progress as their requests and results evolve.

A health education system as described in this embodiment of the presentinvention provides one or more of the following benefits to the user.

The health education system is takes a holistic approach that includesdiet, herbs, vitamins, mind-body approaches, and practical guidelinesfor obtaining thorough medical evaluation. The system can be linked toscientific studies and natural medicine philosophies of East and West.

The health education system is personalized to a particular user. Thefocus is thus on the user, not the ailment, resulting in a healthresource particularly addressing the user's situation. Instead of a“library” of impersonal information on each separate health topic, thecontent offered at each site visit is selected & tailored precisely tofit the individual request—like a personal alternative health guidebook,that changes as the customer's requests change. The simplest measuresthat help most people most often, derived from our experts' clinicalexperience and extensive research experience, are presented as aneminently user-friendly list. The program walks the user throughlearning more and implementing the changes in a very practical “How-To”way.

The health education system of this embodiment integrates information onmultiple health concerns. Many alternative measures, from diet changesto herbs, are invaluable to prevent or help more than one healthcondition. Unlike specialty sites or books on only ONE condition, oursystem eliminates overlap and irrelevancies, and selects and prioritizesthe best combination of alternative health measures to most effectivelyaddress all health concerns the customer inputs, e.g. high cholesteroland enlarged prostate problems and acid reflux.

The exemplary health education system need not be affiliated with anyone commercial company, product line, healthcare method, philosophy orschool. While it may offer links to a variety of high qualityinformation or commercial sites, to enable the customer to easily andknowledgeably implement health changes, the prime objective is to offerpersonalized education & information.

A health education system of the present invention is educational, notdiagnostic. This system of the present invention expects the customer toresponsibly investigate any symptoms and monitor health improvements,and agreement with a Disclaimer is necessary to proceed to receivinginformation. The site can TEACH about the simple, SAFE measures mostlikely to help each unique situation, and offer detailed guidance tostart and use them.

A health education system of the present invention thus:

-   -   provides an easy internet tool available in every living room        giving users everywhere customized information tailored to their        unique health concerns;    -   consolidates the best of alternative health measures into simple        steps that anyone can easily do to improve their health;    -   enables every person of any age to easily and pleasurably        include safe natural health measures in daily life, to help        prevent illness and enhance health and productivity, and feeling        of wellbeing;    -   empowers and teaches each customer about self-care and practical        tools for maximizing health—from diet changes to knowledge about        their bodies, thereby furthering today's trend towards        patient-directed healthcare, self-education and prevention.

The present invention is preferably implemented as a website accessibleover the internet. The web site contains a sequence of pages asdescribed below.

Upon entering the web site, the user enters a first page referred to asthe Home and Introduction page. The Home and Introduction page maycontain the following introduction:

-   -   “Who We Are and What We Do . . . Hallo and welcome to your        online personalized alternative health guide, a teaching center        providing you with customized information in reply to your        individual requests. Starting here, we will walk you through the        most effective and easy alternative approaches for your own        unique combination of health questions—This is the alternative        health guide tailored to you. We offer:    -   A customized guide describing the very best combination of        simple measures to cover ALL your key health requests, easy to        start and use in daily life    -   Our information is distilled from our highly trained        consultants' years of clinical experience and from extensive        research of the best complementary health COMBINATIONS that        really work in practice for many common conditions

You may truly benefit from Naturopathic Medicine if you have:

-   -   women's health concerns at any age, from PMS to menopausal        symptoms    -   fatigue or immune problems    -   men's health and prostate concerns    -   digestive and eating disorders, constipation    -   high cholesterol, heart disease, high blood pressure    -   anxiety, insomnia, depression    -   sinusitis, asthma, bronchitis, respiratory problems    -   osteoporosis, arthritis, skin symptoms

We'll tell you about:

-   -   FOODS to eat more often and explain their health benefits, meal        plans for eating in or out; quick delicious recipes for each        health concern, & shopping lists—drawing upon Western, Chinese        and Ayurvedic traditions    -   VITAMINS and MINERALS in most absorbable forms with safe daily        doses    -   HERBS of West and East, with safe-use tips, and how they work to        encourage your body to repair itself    -   MIND-BODY HEALTH: from daily walking to mindfulness and        meditation, simple measures specific to each health concern to        soothe body and mind    -   BOOKS most relevant, lively, and informative for your health        interests    -   NATURAL HORMONES including gynecological & thyroid hormones,        that you may want to ask your doctor about, biologically        identical to those our bodies produce; individually prescribed        for menstrual, menopausal, and fatigue symptoms    -   “ASK YOUR DOCTOR”, our recommendations for check-ups, the most        valuable tests to monitor the health concerns you are learning        about, and remedies you and your doctor may want to consider”

The Introduction Page then explains how to use the site: in response tothe user's particular combination of health questions and interests, aCustom Health Book will be generated, containing the most effective &easy alternative care steps to cover all the customer's health concerns.The user will then click a button labeled “Click to proceed” and then belinked to second page entitled the “Questionnaire”.

On the Questionnaire page, the user is presented with an IntroductoryQuestionnaire, with boxes to check to describe gender, age group,height, weight, preferred activity level, and many other variables. Nextis a list of health conditions for which expert information isavailable. For each health condition selected, there MAY in subsequentversions of the invention be a second or even third tier of questions(e.g. PMS with choice of (i) physical symptoms, or (ii) mood changes),thus 2-4 steps to narrow down the health question, to give more specificanswers.

The Questionnaire page also presents a list of general health concernsfrom which the user selects specific health concerns of relevance. Thecustomer selects by clicking on boxes, icons, or images. More healthconcerns may be added to the list as system develops. Examples of healthconditions include, but are not limited to:

High cholesterol

CardioVascular protection

Prostate enlargement (benign)

PMS

Menopause symptoms

Food cravings

Heartburn, acid reflux

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Allergies

Acne

Eczema

Sinusitis

Asthma

The user then proceeds to page 3, which may be entitled “To Open YourCustom Health Book”: (abbr. herein as “CHB”). The exemplary healtheducation system then sorts, collates, organizes and prioritizes answersto the user's unique combination of inquiries, and gathers thisinformation into a “Custom Health Book”. The user is presented with theoutside cover of this “book”, perhaps as a graphic with his/her firstname on, and asked “Would you like to open it?”

If the user clicks on a button saying “Yes”, the next paragraph says andmay contain the following requests for payment and/or disclaimers:

-   -   “There is an $$ (x) dollar fee for this personalized teaching        service”—and boxes to enter credit card information, which must        be validated to continue the program    -   DISCLAIMER box must be checked: “The information on this website        should not in any way be used as a substitute for the advice of        a physician or other licensed health care practitioner. Our        expert team and guest contractors shall not be liable or        responsible to any person or entity for any loss or damage        caused, or alleged to be have been caused, directly or        indirectly by the information or ideas contained, suggested, or        referenced on this web site. We offer an educational service        only. While we understand everything presented on this site to        be completely safe, we recommend you consult a licensed        Naturopathic Physician or M.D. before using any alternative        remedies”—Links can then be offered to the American Association        of Naturopathic Physicians and other referral sources.

Once all boxes are satisfactorily filled in, the user then proceeds topage four, which may be entitled “Your Custom Health Book”. Withinseconds, a graphic appears showing a book cover opening. The first“Chapter” (of the user's healing story) will reveal a list of thealternative health measures that are together most effective for ALL theconditions the user asked about. The user is given many helpful tips ina warm and personal tone for understanding the health conditions askedabout, for what to expect from natural health measures, and taught thathealth improves gradually, step by step, over days and weeks and months.Every 4 (??) weeks s/he can return, input progress & new healthinformation or requests, and (for fee) turn to the next chapter ofhis/her “CHB”.

The health steps provided in the “CHB”, derived from our Protocols andmatched to the user's selections, will include approximately 12-15Solution Elements (exact number to be determined as system develops),usually with at least one dietary measure, one vitamin or mineral item,one herb. Each Solution Element is ONE of the following examples (NOT anexhaustive list):

A FOOD to REDUCE—with weekly maximums & delicious substitutes suggested:

Alcohol, coffee, red meat . . . etc

A FOOD to eat OFTEN such as Soy, fish, salad . . . oats, ginger . . .green tea

-   -   with amounts & frequencies—weekly menus, shopping lists    -   links to an on-line RECIPE BOOK (with static or video        illustrations)    -   maybe links to online healthfood stores and groceries        A VITAMIN or A MINERAL (or formula)

e.g. Vitamin X 600-750 once daily with food

Vitamin Y 2 mg each morning

Mineral Z: 40 mg twice daily, best between meals

An HERB such as Hawthorn or Saw Palmetto or Black Cohosh

-   -   with amounts, timing during day, best features to look for on        labels, etc        ** Links to several online supplement/herb stores or        brands—product-INDEPENDENT**

** LINK: to site with information on Drug-Herb-Vitamin Interactions***

A MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLEMENT

e.g. Flax seed oil capsules

CoEnzyme Q 10, X mg each morning

A LIFESTYLE/EXERCISE

e.g. Walking

Hydrotherapy: hot/cold shower

A BOOK Recommended reading for the particular health conditionsselected, from books with factual information to personal narratives orpsychological reflections

-   -   may add links to online book retailers        A MIND & SOUL ACTIVITY

e.g. Suggestions for small acts kindness, easy guide to Meditation,keeping a dream journal, beautifying the home and Feng Shui, music,plants, etc.

SUGGESTED TESTS

-   -   for every customer the section “ASK YOUR DOCTOR if s/he        recommends” is included, with medical evaluation suggestions        such as blood counts, bone density check, blood pressure twice        each week.

The software program underlying the health education system of thisembodiment may be implemented in various ways. One exemplary softwareprogram for implementing this system will be described below.

The following terminology will be used in the following discussion ofthe software program that underlies this embodiment of the presentinvention:

Term Definition Health Condition (HC) a common ailment for whichcustomer seeks information on alternative health measures SolutionElement (SE) one single health measure, such as (but not limited to) anamed herb with dose and frequency [e.g. herb ‘n’ taken twice daily withmeals] or a food to eat [e.g. 1 cup 4-6 times week], or a blood test toconsider asking own physician about Link a connection from a “HC” to a“SE′”; each link has a different weighting Protocol a group of “SE”slinked to each Question, and retrieved in response to submission of thatQuestion

The following components will be used in the following discussion of thesoftware program that underlies this embodiment of the presentinvention:

Component Description web site conventional. Web Server conventional;used to format and deliver pages to the customer at the website. DynamicServer to act like a “search engine and filter in one”. Could be locatedon Web Server or on separate machine. Database contains: (1) “HealthConditions” (with information about each from conventional andalternative medicine perspectives: common causes, pathology, rationalefor treatment approaches, etc) (2) Many individual “Solution Elements”;and/or (3) Links: Every “HC” has links to a number of “SE”s, each linkwith a different weighting

The exemplary health education system of this embodiment of the presentinvention will preferably be implemented using the following procedures.

Initially, at the web site, the customer (user), who is someone visitingsite wanting information tailored to their request on alternativehealth, fills out personal information: age, gender, weight, height,activity level, and selects UserName & password, to allow future accessto own confidential data.

Next, a dynamic page of “Health Conditions” (no limit on future numberas invention evolves) relevant to the personal information entered bythe customer is presented at the website. Incompatible questions (e.g.requesting information for an individual with both Menopause andprostate symptoms) are disallowed.

The customer is next prompted to select, for example, three “HealthConditions” for which they want an integrated list of the bestalternative medicine measures to cover all three. Selection is made byclicking buttons or icons or drop-down boxes. Optional in futuredevelopments of invention, further icons/clicks will (maybe at returnvisit to site) take user to second or third tier of questions, for morefocus, e.g. PMS with moodiness or headache.

These THREE “HEalth Conditions”, with all the customer's personal info,are submitted to the WebServer. The WebServer checks for, andeliminates, conflicts in questions (e.g. menopause & prostatitis in sameindividual). The WebServer utilizes an underlying database connectivitylayer to construct a query, including ALL customer's selected “HealthConditions” and personal information to send to the Database.

In response to the query from the WebServer, the Database thenrecognizes and retrieves the “Solution Elements”. These “SE”s arecollated and prioritized based upon the weighting of links thatretrieved them and other factors such as the number of times a SolutionElement is identified by the Protocols as being relevant. The querysubmitted would also ensure some form of conflict resolution so thatconflicting “SE”s would not be presented to customer. There would be“prohibitive links” to “SE”s disallowed, e.g. incompatible combinationsof supplements or an herb helping menopause symptoms could not beretrieved for male customer requiring information for his own health.The weights of “SE”s are additive/cumulative.

The collated and weighted “SE”s are sent back to the WebServer, whichformats and creates a dynamic web page. Alternatively Active ServerPages may be implemented. The result (containing all the “SE”s for thiscustomer, ranked according to weighting) is presented to the customer.All data associated with a particular user may be stored in the Databaseserver for easy retrieval at a later time.

As an alternative to or enhancement of the first embodiment, each“Solution Element” bears several tags, each of different weighting andeach tag corresponding to one “Question” (a “Health Condition” in thisexample). When a “Question” is included in a query, the Database willretrieve all the “SE”s with a corresponding tag. The weightings of the“SE”s are additive according to the score on their tags. In the responsepresented to the customer, those with strongest cumulative weighting aregiven highest priority. This alternative or enhanced weighting processis represented in Appendix One attached hereto.

From the foregoing, it should be apparent that the present invention maybe embodied in forms other than those specifically discussed above. Thescope of the present invention shall be determined by the claimsappended hereto and not the foregoing detailed description.

1. A health education system for distributing health information overcommunications systems, comprising: a question database containing aplurality of questions, where each question is related to the healthinformation to be distributed; a solution database containing aplurality of solution elements, where each solution element is relatedto the health information to be distributed; a set of protocols linkingat least one of the questions in the question database with at least oneof the solution elements in the solution database, where the protocolsfurther comprise weighting data that relate the solution elements to thequestions; a user information system for allowing a user to enter userdata related to the user; a selecting system for allowing the user toselect one or more questions from the question database to generate aset of selected questions; and a filtering system for generating acustomized list of solution elements based on the selected questions,the set of protocols, the user data, and the weighting data such thatthe customized list of solution elements contains at least one solutionelement specifically related to the user.
 2. A health education systemfor distributing information as recited in claim 1, in which thefiltering system generates the customized list of solution elementsfurther based on the number of times the solution elements areassociated with the selected questions by the protocols.
 3. A healtheducation system as recited in claim 1, in which the filtering systemdetermines whether conflicts are present among the user data and theselected questions.
 4. A health education system as recited in claim 1,in which at least one of the links is a prohibitive link indicative ofincompatibilities among a plurality of solution elements.
 5. A healtheducation system as recited in claim 1, in which at least one score isassociated with at least one of the solution elements, where thesolution elements in the customized list of solution elements areprioritized based on the at least one score associated with at least oneof the solution elements.
 6. A health education system as recited inclaim 1, in which the filtering system prioritizes solution elements inthe customized list of solution elements based on the selectedquestions, the set of links, and the user data.
 7. A health educationsystem as recited in claim 1, in which: the solution database storesinformation associated with at least one of the solution elements; andthe customized list of solution elements further comprises informationassociated with the solution elements in the customized list of solutionelements.
 8. A health education system as recited in claim 1, in which:a plurality of solution variables are associated with at least one ofthe solution elements; whereby based on the selected questions, the setof links, and the user data the filtering system further determinesnumerical values associated with the plurality of solution variablesassociated with at least some of the plurality of solution elements inthe customized list of solution elements.
 9. A health education systemfor distributing health information over communications systems,comprising: a question database containing a plurality of questions,where each question is related to the health information to bedistributed; a solution database containing a plurality of solutionelements, where each solution element is related to the healthinformation to be distributed; a set of protocols linking at least oneof the questions in the question database with at least one of thesolution elements in the solution database; a user information systemfor allowing a user to enter user data related to the user; a selectingsystem for allowing the user to select one or more questions from thequestion database to generate a set of selected questions; and afiltering system for generating a customized list of solution elementsbased on the selected questions, the set of protocols, the user data,and the number of times the solution elements are associated with theselected questions by the protocols such that the customized list ofsolution elements contains at least one solution element specificallyrelated to the user.
 10. A health education system as recited in claim9, in which the filtering system determines whether conflicts arepresent among the user data and the selected questions.
 11. A healtheducation system as recited in claim 9, in which at least one of thelinks is a prohibitive link indicative of incompatibilities among aplurality of solution elements.
 12. A health education system as recitedin claim 9, in which at least one score is associated with at least oneof the solution elements, where the solution elements in the customizedlist of solution elements are prioritized based on the at least onescore associated with at least one of the solution elements.
 13. Ahealth education system as recited in claim 9, in which the filteringsystem prioritizes solution elements in the customized list of solutionelements based on the selected questions, the set of links, and the userdata.
 14. A health education system as recited in claim 9, in which: thesolution database stores information associated with at least one of thesolution elements; and the customized list of solution elements furthercomprises information associated with the solution elements in thecustomized list of solution elements.
 15. A health education system asrecited in claim 9, in which: a plurality of solution variables areassociated with at least one of the solution elements; whereby based onthe selected questions, the set of links, and the user data thefiltering system further determines numerical values associated with theplurality of solution variables associated with at least some of theplurality of solution elements in the customized list of solutionelements.
 16. A health education system for distributing healthinformation over communications systems, comprising: a question databasecontaining a plurality of questions, where each question is related tothe health information to be distributed; a solution database containinga plurality of solution elements, where each solution element is relatedto the health information to be distributed; a set of protocols linkingat least one of the questions in the question database with at least oneof the solution elements in the solution database; a user informationsystem for allowing a user to enter user data related to the user; aselecting system for allowing the user to select one or more questionsfrom the question database to generate a set of selected questions; anda filtering system for generating a customized list of solution elementsbased on the selected questions, the set of protocols, and the userdata, such that the customized list of solution elements contains atleast one solution element specifically related to the user; whereby atleast one of the links is a prohibitive link indicative ofincompatibilities among a plurality of solution elements.
 17. A healtheducation system as recited in claim 9, in which the filtering systemdetermines whether conflicts are present among the user data and theselected questions.
 18. A health education system as recited in claim 9,in which at least one score is associated with at least one of thesolution elements, where the solution elements in the customized list ofsolution elements are prioritized based on the at least one scoreassociated with at least one of the solution elements.
 19. A healtheducation system as recited in claim 9, in which the filtering systemprioritizes solution elements in the customized list of solutionelements based on the selected questions, the set of links, and the userdata.
 20. A health education system as recited in claim 9, in which: thesolution database stores information associated with at least one of thesolution elements; and the customized list of solution elements furthercomprises information associated with the solution elements in thecustomized list of solution elements.
 21. A health education system asrecited in claim 9, in which: a plurality of solution variables areassociated with at least one of the solution elements; whereby based onthe selected questions, the set of links, and the user data thefiltering system further determines numerical values associated with theplurality of solution variables associated with at least some of theplurality of solution elements in the customized list of solutionelements.